Buddha's Day of Enlightenment celebrate

Buddha's Day of Enlightenment celebrate

MEGAMENDUNG, Bogor (JP): About 2,000,000 Buddhists gathered
midnight at the Sadapaributha Buddhist Center, Wednesday, to
observe Waisak, Buddha's Day of Enlightenment.

The congregation, affiliated to the Pandita Sabha Buddha
Dharma Indonesia Foundation, commemorated three important events
in Buddha's life: his birth, his enlightenment and his death.

At 11:30 pm the Buddhists held a procession and then held a
ceremony until 1 a.m.

Speaking before the ceremony, the association's chairwoman,
Herwindra Aiko Senosoenoto, said Buddhist priests should pay
attention to the plight of their disciples.

"The success of priests is not judged by the how many
followers attended their monasteries," she said.

She also reminded Buddhists to shun materialism in a society
where there is a large social gap.

She said Buddhist leaders should play a greater role in
bringing their followers to a less materialistic lifestyle in
accordance with the teachings of Sidharta Gautama, who was born
about 563 B.C.

The importance of making the coming general election a success
was not overlooked and the Ministry of Religious Affairs' Gusti
Bagus Lingga said the success of the general election was also
the responsibility of Buddhists.

The Waisak commemoration was also a forum for the foundation's
youth to review their cultural activities.

The group's cultural groups include the foundation's Eksotika
Karmawibangga Indonesian dance group which performed before the
ceremony.

Borobudur

It was also reported that the center of Waisak festivities was
at Central Java's Borobudur Temple.

Unlike other years, there was no long march from Mendut Temple
to Borobudur in the two-day Waisak ceremony which started
Wednesday.

The Minister of Religious Affairs, Tarmizi Taher, attended the
ceremony along with 3,000 Buddhists.

The highlight of the Wednesday's ceremony at Borobudur Temple
was the receiving of holy fire and water from two places in
Central Java.

On Thursday, the ceremony was held at the Mendut and Borobudur
temples from 6 a.m to 4:13 p.m.

Several rituals were held before the Puja Bhakti prayer at 2
p.m. at Borobudur.

The minister said that Buddhists and followers of other
religions should maintain national unity and make the general
election a success.

Thousands of Buddhists also took part in Waisak ceremonies at
16 monasteries in Denpasar, Bali.

Buddhists from Denpasar and surrounding areas thronged two big
monasteries, Dharma Bratha and Dharmayana, in Kuta. (03/38)